April 24, 2014

Ahead of the formal Chinese Restaurant Awards ceremony and banquet, we were invited to preview a few special dishes and collaborations specially prepared by award-winning Chinese master chefs from Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.
The dishes mixed western influenced fine dining with eastern styles and have won various Michelin Stars and numerous Cordon Bleu designations. It was a unique dining experience involving different culinary influences and flavours

I was piqued by the chilled Nova Scotia lobster (with BC salmon caviar) from Yan Toh Heen Executive Chef Lau Yiu Fai (InterContinental Hong Kong Hotel) and its refreshing taste, served cold, bringing out all the seafood hints and flavours.

The BC geoduck steak (with supreme sauce) from H.L. Peninsula Catering and culinary director Huang Wuhun (Guangzhou) was regal in its taste and preparation full of dynamic flavouring.

For dessert, we were treated to a trio of treats in the Chinese black tea panna cotta, pineapple compote, and black sesame crumble (with passion fruit sorbet) from Four Seasons pastry chef Bruno Feldeisen. All had a strangely distinctive yet familiar tastiness reminiscence, especially the crumble.

All the Chinese touches and flavours influenced by some of the chefs' backgrounds in North America made for a rich, decadently enjoyable dining experience reminiscent of the burgeoning luxuries of Southeast Asian destinations.